This invention concerns the application of aqueous dispersions of certain perfluoroalkyl esters to textile fibers followed by drying. The fibers are thus invested with a coating that is resistant to dry soiling and that does not propagate a flame.
Polymers and other compounds containing highly fluorinated segments are widely used for providing oil and water repellency to textile substrates. When applied to carpets of synthetic, thermoplastic fibers such as polyesters, polyamides, and polyacrylics, fluoropolymeric coatings such as the polymers of perfluoroalkylacrylates and methacrylates provide a degree of resistance to dry, traffic-caused soiling. While carpets of the aforementioned thermoplastic polymers do not burn readily in uncoated form, the coated fibers may support the advance of a flame as from a dropped match, and, if they do, cannot be tolerated for commercial or home carpeting use. The susceptibility of treated fiber carpets to burning is particularly noticeable when the carpet construction is of the loose or shag type.